Church of the Transfiguration
Christi-Verklärungskirche, Church of the Transfiguration (Russian church)
Germany, Baden-Baden
Church of the German Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, a self-governing church within the Moscow Patriarchate (since May 17, 2007).
The construction of the church was completed in 1882. In 1899, Nicholas II and Alexandra Feodorovna visited the temple.
With the outbreak of World War I, the church was closed. The temple was considered as the property of the enemy. The gilding of the domes was removed and melted down. The dome was covered with tin and painted blue; the church remained in this form until 1988.
On July 22, 1920, the parish of the Orthodox community of Baden-Baden was officially registered. On July 17, 1921, regular services resumed in the church.
Initially, there were about 100 people in the community, among whom was the actress Olga Chekhova. Subsequently, the number of parishioners was reduced by half.
After the end of World War II, the parish announced its transition to the Moscow Patriarchate.
However, in 1979 the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia declared its right to the temple. A lawsuit was filed.
Initially, while the issue was being resolved, the temple was closed from October 24, 1979 to April 2, 1980, after which the parish of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad resumed services.
In the mid-1980s, restoration work was carried out. In 1988, the gilding of the dome was restored.
On October 28, 1988, by decision of the Supreme Court of the Federal Republic of Germany, on the basis of the Law "On the Property Rights of the Russian Orthodox Church in Germany", the ownership of the Transfiguration Church in Baden-Baden passed to the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad. The appeal of the community of the Moscow Patriarchate was rejected by the Constitutional Court of Germany. However, until the early 2000s, the temple remained the subject of a dispute between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia.
The parish is made up of immigrants from Russia, as well as Serbs, Greeks and Germans. Services are held weekly.
The church was built in the North Russian style, crowned with a gilded onion dome.
In terms of the temple is a Greek cross. The walls are lined with light stone slabs.
Above the entrance is a mosaic icon of the Transfiguration of the Lord, which was made by the Venetian artist A. Salviati based on the drawings of Prince G. G. Gagarin.
The vault of the temple is supported by six columns.
All interior painting was done free of charge by Prince G. G. Gagarin. Seven frescoes depict the earthly life of Jesus Christ. In the dome there is an image of the sun surrounded by the evangelists Luke, Mark, Matthew and John. The entire space is decorated with ornaments.
Stained glass windows. The single-tiered iconostasis is carved from marble.
Grand Duchess Maria Maximilianovna and Princess Tatyana Sergeevna Gagarina (1834-1920) were buried in the crypt under the altar.
The walls of the crypt are decorated with mosaic ornaments, the floor is made of white marble.
